Electric battery.



PATENTEE AUG. 23, 190.4.

E. J. KAT/TPEEETKl ELECTRIC BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.14, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Www/wefy @me UNITED STATES Patented August '23, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

ELECTRIC BATTERY SPECIFICATION forming peut ef` Lettere Patent No. 768,372, dated August 23, 1904. Application filed October 14, 1903. Serial No. 177,021. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t` may concern:

Be it known that I', PIERRE JOSEPH KAM- PERDYK, a subject of the King of Belgium, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the countyand State ofl New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Elec/tric Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

rPhe invention relates to the construction and arrangement of parts comprising a primary cell and to the disposition and mainteas to obtain the maximum of efiiciency, a'ndv by reducing to a minimum the labor and expense of maintaining a series of such cells constituting a battery.

The invention consists in certain details of construction and arrangements of hereinafter described..

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show the invention as I have carried it out. Y

Figure l is an 'elevation showing the installation of a series of my improved cells, on a small scale, with their supply-reservoirs and pipe connections. Eig. 2 is a corresponding end view of a portion. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the cells on a larger scale, and Fig. 4 is a' corresponding vertical transverse section. Eig. 5 is a plan view of four connected cells with certain portions removed, showing the pipe connections. vertical section through two adjacent cells, showing the valve controlling the fluid charging and discharging ports on a still larger scale. Fig. 7 is acorresponding vertical section through the valve-casing, taken on the line 7 7 in the preceding ligure. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section and plan of a-portion of one parts to be Fig. 6 is a.

of the cells. Fig. 9 is a vertical section and elevation of a portionv of one of the positive elements, and Fig. 10 is a corresponding horizontal section on the line l() lOin Eig. 9. Fig. Il is a vertical section showing a modified form of cell.

Similar letters of reference indicate the samey parts in all the figures.

Each cell is composed of an exterior vessel A, containing the exciting liquid, made in affected by acid.

B is a rectangular shell or receptacle, open at the ends and set longitudinallyv of the vessel A in the kcenter thereof, held in place byv forcing the lower Vopen end into a layer A' of softenedk asphalt, bitumen, rubber, or other suitable cement, covering theinterior bottom of the vessel to a slight depth and subsequently allowed to harden, and B B are shells having their lower edges similarly embedded in the layer A, but differing from the central shell` B in that one side wall is omitted, the open sidefthus formed lying close againstV the interior sidewall of the vessel,

the joint being sealed by the interposition of soft-rubber strips vB2 and held rmly in place by the distancepiecesor braces B3,.forced between-the central shell- B and side shells B. The shells B B B' performthe functions of -porous cups and contain the carbon electrodes.

prefer, however, to make them of carbon and to connect them to the positive-pole elements or electrodes, and thus increase the surface of the positive pole of the battery.

The negative-pole electrodes for each cell are shown as Zinc plates O, having the proper superficial area proportional to the output of the cell. Each plate O is located between adjacent porouscups and received in openings 100 rectangular form of any suitable material not y ing to passages from the tubes E.

b in the distance-pieces B3 and are both connected by a wire C.

A positive-pole electrode each cup B B B', is presented to each face of .each zinc plate and is shown as composed of groups of small carbon pencils secured at their ends to metal plates and arranged inparallcl rows with very narrow openings between adjacent pencils, but suflicient to allow the depolarizing liquid in which the pencils D are submerged tocirculate freely. The rows are arranged in lines parallel with and close to the adjacent walls of the cups. Two carbon electrodes D are placed in the larger central cup B and one in each of the smaller or half cups B B.

The series of cells comprising the battery is installed as indicated in Fig. l, in which, the cells are shown as supported in two parallel rows on beams A2. The cells in each row are provided with short tubes or thimbles E E', extending through the layer A and bottom of the vessel A. 4The tube E enters the space between B and B, and the tube Eenters the central cup B. The tube E serves to ill and drain all the cups through their connectingpipe F2 and the tube E to fill and drain the vessel A, as required. The adjacent cell in the other row is similarly equipped, and the tubes of'each are received in a double valve-casing F2. Two line-pipes G and H extend through all the casings E2, running parallel with the rows, and serve as filling and draining pipes andalso bya peculiar arrangement of ports, as valves, controlling the tubes E and E. The pipe G supplies the depolarizing liquid `from an elevated reservoir G2 to the porous cups of both rows and the pipe H the exciting liquid from an elevated reservoir H2 to the vessels A in both rows. The valve-casings are each provided with ports E3 E4, leading from the tubes E in the adjacent vessels, and match to ports G3 Gi in the pipe G (see Figs. 6 and 7) when the latter is turned by the handle G5 to the position shown in Fig. 6, and the linepipe H is similarly provided with ports match- J is a three-way-valve casing receiving' pipes G and H', leading, respectively, from the reservoirs G2 H2 and equipped with discharge-pipes J -`J2,leading to a waste-pipe or drain (not shown) and also provided with ports matching to corresponding ports in the line-pipes G and H, so arranged that when the latterwas G, for instance-is turned in one direction by the handle G5 the ports E3 and E4 will coincide with the ports G3 Gi and permit depolarizing liquid from the reservoir G2 to ow into the cups B B in all the vesselsA in both rows and when turned fully in the opposite direction to bring' the ports GG and G3 into operative relation with the ports E2 E2 and at the same time shut off the supply in the three-way-valve casing from the reservoir G2 and open communication with the drain through the pipe J and D, contained inrun off the exhausted dcpolarizing liquid. The pipe H may be similarly turned by the handle H2 to supply exciting liquid from the reservoir H2 through the pipe lI to the several vessels throughout the series orto empty them through the pipe J2. 'hen the handle G'2or H5 is moved to an intermediate position, the line-pipes G and lil will be turned to shut off both the supply and discharge and also to isolate each cell.

Besides serving to lill and empty the cups, as above described, by permitting thel llow ol liquid from one cup to the others in the cell the pipe F2 performs the important function of allowing free circulation of the depolarizing liquid through all the cups, thus insuring uniformity of reaction throughout the cell. The pipe F serves similarly to aiiord means for the exciting liquid te circulate and maintain a uniform density in all parts of the vessel A.

The construction and arrangement shown permits the cell to be of relatively small dimensions without loss of eiiciency, a factor ol" importance in situations where great energy is desired and space is limited.

By placing the Zinc plates close to the exterior walls of the porous cups and the carbons close to the interior walls the internal resistance of the cell is greatly reduced, corresponding'ly increasing the ratio of eliciency and also coniining the degree of fluctuations in the current within narrow limits.

The carbon electrodes are shown as composed of pencils containing a wire of incorrodible metal or coated with a material ol great conductivity, coated with a material not attacked by acids, serving to strengthen the pencils and increase their conductivity". '.lhe plates to which the upper ends of the rows are attached are joined by wires 1) 1) to a wire D2, forming the positive pole of the cell. 'lhe carbon cups B B' B are also preferably constructed with a series of vertically-arranged wires B4, similar to those in the pencils and serving to strengthen the thin walls ol the cups. The latter are connected b v wires l to the positive pole, thus serving to increase the carbon surface of the cell and allowing the zinc plates to stand in very close proximity to the carbon elements. 'lhe distancepieces B serving to hold the cups in place also serve the additional function of very exactly locating the positions of the Zinc plates relatively to the cups and prevents contact with the latter, while allowing the plates to stand as closely thereto as the required circulation of the exciting liquid will permit.

Modilications may be made in the forms and proportions without departing from the invention or sacrilicing its advantages. The wires B4 may be omitted from the porous cups, and other forms of carbon electrodes may be used. The pipes connecting the porous cups may be varied, as may be the provisions l'or IOO filling and emptying the cups and vessels. The layer Al oi' asphalt or bitumen may be omitted, and the cups may be of any 4usual or approved form connected by communicating pipes attached in any suitable manner.

Fig. 11 shows a cell in which vthe central cup is omitted, the side cups being held by distance-pieces, as before, and a single zinc plate held between them. This form may be preferred in small cells.

A single row of cells may be employed, the line-pipes and valve-casings being-arranged to correspond, as will be understood.

I claim- 1. In a primary battery, a cell comprising a containing vessel, two or moreporous cups therein, and passages connecting said cups to allow the liquid therein to ilow freely from one to the other to insure equal densi-ty in each.

2. In a primary battery, two or more cells each comprising a containing vessel having two or more porous cups therein, passages connecting the cups of each cell to allow the liquid therein to flow freely from one cup to the other to insure equal density of said liquid in all the cups of such cell, a pipe serving as a conduit for all the cells, a passage from one of the porous cups in each cell to said pipe, and means for closing said pipe between each cell and the next. i l g 3. A series of primary cells each comprising a containing vessel having a discharge-pipe, one or more porous cups.in each vessel, a discharge-pipe from said cups through said vessel, a line-pipe receiving the discharge-pipes from the several vessels in the series, a linepipe receiving the discharge-pipes from the several cups, reservoirs containing supplies of liquid for said vessels and cups, a threeway valve in each of said line-pipes, and connections from said three-way valves to a wastepipe, and connections from said reservoirs to l said three-way valves, whereby the liquid contents of said vessels and cups may be discharged through said three-way valves when the latter are in one position, and liquids from said reservoirs allowed to iiow to said vessels and cups when saidv three-way valves are in another position.

4. A series of primary cells each comprising a containing vessel having a -discharge-pipe, two or more porous cups in each vessel, passages eonnecting the cups in each vessel, a discharge-pipe from one of said cups, a line-pipe receiving' the discharge from each vessel and means for controlling such discharge, and a line-pipe receiving the discharge from the .cups in all the vessels and means for controlthem to form the negative pole', one or more lcarbon electrodes and connections between them to form the positive pole, and connections fronr said cups to said positive pole, whereby said cups serve as additional positive-pole electrodes.

6. In a primary battery, a containing vessel, a layer of cement or analogous materialin the bottom thereof, a plurality of porouscups each comprising an open shell, closed at the lower end andv heldin place by being partially embedded in said layer, and passages connecting vsaid cups.

7. In a primary battery, a containing Vessel, a layer of cement or analogous material in the bottom thereof, a series of porous cups each comprising an open shell, closed at the lower end and'secured in place by being partially embedded in said layer, and passages connecting said cups formed by pipes inclosed in said layer and opening to the interior of said shells.

8.v In a primary battery, a containing vessel, two porous cups therein, each comprising a shell open at the ends and having its wall omitted next the adjacent wall of said vessel,

'and distance-pieces between said cups serving to hold the latter in place and against the walls of said vessel.

9. In a primary battery, a containing vessel, a porous cup centrally located in said vessel, a porous cup on each side thereof eachr having its -side wall omitted next the adjacent wall of said vessel, distance-pieces between said cups serving to hold the latter in place and against the walls of said vessel.

10.' In a primary battery, a containing vessel, a porous cup centrally located in said ves- IOO sel, a porous cup-on eachl side thereof, each ceive and hold an electrode.

11. In av battery, a series of cells arranged in a row, a series 'of valve-casings, one for each cell, line-pipes extending along said row and lpassing through said valve-casings and arranged to turn therein, ports in said valvecasings leading from said cells to said linepipes, and ports in the latter matching thereto, whereby said pipes serve as illing and emptying conduits for said cells and also as valves controlling said ports.

12. In abattery, two series of cells arranged in parallel rows, a series of valve-casings each connecting-a cel-l in one row to the adjacent cell in the other row, a line-pipe for each row tance-pieces having apertures adapted to re- IIO IZO

extending through said casings and arranged to turn therein, ports in said casings leading from said cells to saidpipes, and ports in the latter matching thereto, whereby said pipes serve the double Vfunction of iillingand empn tying pipes for said cells and also as valves controllingsaid casing-ports.

13. In abattery, two series of cells arranged in parallel rows, one or more cups in each of said cells, a series of valve-easings each conneeting a cell in one row to the adjacent Cell in the other row, a line-pipe for each row eX- tending through said loasings and arranged to turn therein, ports in said easings leading from the interior of said cells to one of said pipes, and ports in said casings leading from the interior of said oups to the other of said pipes, and ports in said pipes matching to said Casing-ports, whereby one of said line-pipesA serves as a filling and emptying conduit for liquid supplied to Isaid cells, and the other ol said line-pipes serves as a lilling and emptyingl conduit for liquid supplied to said cups, and both line-pipes serve as Valves for controlling said easing-ports.

1n testimony that l Claim the invention above set forth I aiix my signature in presence ol two Witnesses.

PIERRE JOSEPH KA lll llllll) Y K.

Witnesses:

T. DARDANS, CHARLEs R. SEARLE. 

